Syrian journalist beaten, arrested in Damascus

New
York, March 20, 2012--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the assault
and detention of Syrian journalist Rudy Othman by security forces and calls on
authorities to release him immediately.

Syrian
police beat and arrested Othman, a prominent freelance journalist, while he was
covering a protest on Hamra Street in the capital, Damascus, on Thursday, Amer
Matar, a journalist and Othman's friend, told CPJ, and local and international
press freedom groups reported. The Syrian
government has not disclosed any information on the journalist's whereabouts,
legal status, or condition.

Othman,
who covered the uprisings and daily events in Syria for several regional news
outlets, has been detained twice before by Syrian authorities, the last time in October for
four months, CPJ research shows.

"Syrian authorities are employing violence, detention, and
intimidation against journalists to hide events from their own citizens and the
rest of the world," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North
Africa program coordinator. "Authorities should release Rudy Othman immediately
and put a halt to their deplorable practice of violent censorship."

Syrian
authorities continue to attack the local press. Nine journalists and activistswere detained in
Syria after a raid
on the offices of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression in
February. The detainees have been denied access to their colleagues, family
members, and lawyers, and no charges have been brought against them, news
reports said. The Euro-Mediterranean
Human Rights Network reported that the detainees had been subjected to
torture and mistreatment in government custody.

In
its annual prison census conducted on
December 1, 2011, CPJ identified at least other eight journalists imprisoned
for their work in Syria, many of whom remain in detention.